Apparatus for the manufacture of copper electrotypes.



No. 875,784. PATENTED JAN. 7,1908. S. 0. GOWPER-OOLES. APPARATUS FOR THEMANUFACTURE OF COPPER ELEGTROTYPES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.5.1906.

' ments in Apparatus for the i\'l anufacture of anodes of the metalwhich it is desired to de- In order to free the electrolyte fromsuspend- Victoria street, Westminster, London, Enga pump and isprojected bycentri-fugal force deposited so as to remove any air bubbleswork serving to receive the cathodes c, c; the

"adapted to be rotated by any suitable means UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE;

SHERARI) OSBURN (l()\\'PER-UOI.ES, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1 908.

Application filed March 5. 1906- Serial No. 304.324.

0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIIERARD ()saom. (rHYPER-(loans, a subject of theKing of Great Britain, residing at Grosvenor Mansions,

land, lutvelinvented new and useful Improveopper Electrotypes, 'of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention has for its object a method and means for rapidlyproducing electrotypes or copper shells forprintingor other purposes.

According to my invention I make use of a vat preferably circular andthe interior of which is fitted with a framework of wood or othersuitable material adapted to receive the trays or cases filled with waxor other suitable composition forming the cathodes upon which theimpressions are made for e ectro-typing. Alrame is suspended in thecenter of the vat in such a manner that it can be rotated, the saidframe carrying the posit, and being advantageously )erforated topermitof the free circulation of t e electrolyte or set at an angle withopen s aces be' tween. Theelectrolyteisintroduce through the bottomor'center of the vat by means of into the molds on which the metal isto'be that may be retained in the recesses thereof.

ed matter it is also advantageously forced by the pump through a filter.

To enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe it byreference to the accompanying drawin s, in which I Figure 1 is avertical section of apparatus for manufacturing cop er electrotypesconstructed according to tlie invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan viewthereof.

a is the vat which is shown of circular form and b is the interiorframework of wood with which the said vat is furnished, thisframecathodes are connected by means of the wires d to terminals 0 uponinsulating brackets f mounted u on the outside of the vat a.

g is the rame which is suspended within the vat a upon the centralvertical shaft h and '11, t are the anodes carried by the said frame 9.These anodes, which are arranged vertically within the frame g, areprovided with perforations j, Current is supplied to the anodes i fromthe central shaft h to which 'current is furnished by the brush l.

Z, Z are two (or morel inlet pipes extending up through. the bottom ofthe vat (L and through which the electrolyte is su )plied to the saidvat from a ump; the sairl electrolyte may, as above (8SC-Iib0(l, beforced by the pump through a filter before entering the vat (L.

m, m are over-flow from the vat a.

The apparatus operates as follows, that is to say, the electrolyte ispumped into the vat a through the inlet pipes Z, l, and the frame 9pipes for the electrolyte the upright shaft b so that the electrolyteentering the bottom of the vat is forced up into the revolving frame 9and is projected by centrifugal force through the perforations in theanodes g and is thus caused to sweep rapidly over the whole of thesurface of the oathodes c, c on which the metal is to be deposited,thereby removing any air bubbles that may be retained in the recessesthereof. By causing the electrolyte to circulate in this way not onlyare all air bubbles removed from the cathodes, as above described, butcopper shells are produced free from pin holes at a rapid rate and at acurrent denslty varying from 500 to 1000 amperes or more per squarefoot.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is 1. In an apparatus for the electro-deposition of. metalthe combination with a vat for containing an electrolyte, of a cathodeand a perforated anode mounted in said vat and means for continuouslyforcing the electrolyte through the perforations in the anodeperpendicularly toward and against the face of the cathode,substantially as described.

'-2. In an apparatus for the electro-deposition of metal, thecombination with a vat for containim an electrolyte, of a substantiallycylindrical cathode stationarily mounted in said vat and a substantiallycylindrical and perforated anode rotatably mounted in said vat wherebysaid electrolyte is agitated, substantially as described.

3. In an a paratus for the electro-deposition of meta, the combinationwith a vat provided with inlet and outlet ports for an electrolyte, saidelectrolyte being under pressure, of a cathode stationarily mounted insaid vat, a perforated anode rotatably mounted in said vat and means forrotating said anode, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus containing an electrolyte, of cathodes, means forsupporting said cathodes in a substantially cylindrical form in saidvat, a frame l revolubly mounted in said vat and anodes mounted on saidrevoluble frame in a substantially cylindrical form, substantially as idescribed. 5. In an apparatus for the electro-deposii tion of metal, thecombination with a vat provided with inlets and outlets for anelectrolyte, said electrolyte being under pressure, for theelectro-deposi- 1 0 tion of metal, the combination with avat for ode? ina substantially cylindrical form in salt vat, and perforated anodesmounted on said revoluble frame in a substantially parallel form,substantially as described. I

f cathodes, means for supporting said cathvat, a frame revolubly mountedin said SHERARD OSBORN COWPER-OOLES. Witnesses:

WILLIAM JOHN MEEKs, PERoY READ GoLnRINo;

